Bucket for material-handling plants



Feb. 1o, 1931.

A. `c. BENNETT 1,791,882

BUCKET FOR MATERIAL'HANDLING PLANTS original'Filed octxzlgieza www Original application-.med October 21',

Patented Feb. 10, 1931 UNITED STATES PTENT OFFICE Azz'EL c. BENNETT, OE HUDSON, NEW YORK, AssIGNOR TOV'GIEEoRn-woon COMPANY,

OE HUDSON, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION OENEWYORK BUCKET EOR MATERIAL-HANDLING PLANTS This invention' relates generally to plants for I handling semi-fluent materialssuch as coal, sand, gravel and the like, particularly of the type wherein v'the material is adapted to be conveyed from a pit to storage bins by means of a conveyor bucket.-

. Among other objects, the invention aims to provide means for guiding the bucket as it descends into the pit and also means to prevent the bucket from catching under' the guides or tracks'in the pit, when'it is being hoisted. Y p This application is a division of my Patent No. 1,7 41,123, dated December 24, 1929.`

In the drawings, Y

Fig. 1 isa sideelevation of a. hoist bucket embodying theinvention; and

Fig. 2 is an end elevation of the same.

f Referring particularly to the drawings,

there is shown a bucket 7 adapted to .be

rlowered into'a -pit or into a space beneath a hopper (not shown.) for receiving material such as coal, sand, gravel or'the like from a gate, 4such as-the one-.disclosed inthe ending Root application Serial No. 78,163 led December 29, 1925. The bucket 7 is provided with co-opera'ting-jaws 11, and linkages 12 connect the jaws together, as disclosed in the parent application, to effect simultaneous opening and closing.- When thevbucket'is in proper position to. be loaded, the gate is -lowered by suitable mechanism which 1s -manually operated by a hand wheel adgacenty to the pit, 'as shown in the Root application aforesaid. ,When the bucket is ll'ed, is hoisted out of the pit and conveyed tothe point of storage by suitable hoisting and Ntraversing' units' (not shown) located in the control' house. The bucket is suspended and elevated and lowered by means of a single line e passingv around a sheave 16 on bail 17 which is pivoted -to the bucket asi at 18; Dumping is effected automatically upon descent ofthe bucket,an'd closingof thejaws takesv place uponjdescent ofthe bucket into `the pit, as explained in the parent application. Y

. In order-to Vguide the bucket yinto proper position beneath the chute 15, two'rollers 19 are journaled on each side of the bucket, the

pairs of rollers running in inclined double V1926, Serial No.` 63,938. :Divided and` this application .lle.V March 13,' 1929. Serial No. 346,590.

tracks or guides 20, 21, secured` to each side Y wallof the pit and extending nearly to the v bottom of the pit and spaced apart suiiiciently to permit the rollers to pass between them. The rollers `are so Varranged that when they engagethe double guides, the top of the bucket is level. As there are two rollers on each side of the bucket, tilting of the bucket 1s prevented so long as the double guides are engaged by the rollers. At their lower'portions, the tracks 20 andV 21 are vparallel and near' the mouthof the pit, the upper tracks diverge upwardly and the lower tracks arel 'which'the invention maybe used, see F ig. 1

of the Cook application, .Ser- No. 312,150,

and Fig. 1 of the Towneapplication, Ser. No.

146,890. l v V] hen the trolley is stopped over the pit (por over a bin) the momentum of the-bucket will cause it to swing like a'pendulum.l The length of the pendulum andhencethe length ofthe arc traversed necessarily increases as the bucket is lowered. Therefore, lthe bucket cannot be lowered unless the swinging motion practically ceases. However, d ue to the wind andother causes, the bucket may continue to swing and twist slightly, and thus a considerable timemay be lost before the bucket isin position to be lowered into the pit and is substantially motionless. In order to save time, guide means-are provided on the bucket to direct it into the mouth of the pit .even though the vbucket may be swinging slightlyV horizontally or-vertically. n n

Secured lto each sidel of each jaw is a lguide shoe which Vpreferably extends from a point vjust below/the jawfpivot downwardly below'the bottom of the bucket. These shoes may be in the form of angle bars, as shown,

thus stiening'and 'protecting the jaws, and have one of their. flanges projecting outward- 'beyond the side of the bucket.y The lower ends vof the shoes are tapered as shown at 26,

so that when the bucket is lowered `into the mouth of the pit, the tapered ends 26 strike rst the .side walls of the pit and then the As shown in Fig, 1, additional-guide shoes.`

27 are provided which'are rigidly''secured to the side-s of the bucket vat their rearupper ends. These shoe-s 27, which may also be of angle bars, extend upwardlyl above thetop of the bucket and have their upper ends" tapered, as shown. The shoes 27 direct the upperl rollers onto the guides 20 when the bucket is lowered and also prevent any part ofthe bucket from catchingnnder the tracks 20 when the bucket is raised. Vhen the loaded bucket is hoisted to a point clear of the upper tracks 2l, it may then be momentarily clearA of both tracks. As soon as the rollers leave the'tracks, the bucket is free to swing, by gravity, to a. point more nearly directly beneath the trolley, and the Vupper ends of the rear shoes 25 or part of jaw operating mechanism might catch beneath the tracks 20particularly if the bucket turns axially', thus preventing the bucket from be- ;inghoi'sted This catching or fouling of the bucket is prevented, however, Vby. the shoesr 27 which strike thesides of tracks20 before the bucket catches under said'tracks. Also, if the bucket is hoisted too rapidly, the tendency of the rollers is to engage the tracks 21 instead of the tracks 20. Then whenthe bucket clears the tracks 2l, it may swing to a point more nearly under the trolley, and being suddenly out of engagement with both tracks may twist so that one of the rollers would pass behind the track 20. This will be pre-vented, however, by theV shoe 27 on the opposite side lof the bucket striking the adj a- Vcenttrack and thus straightening the bucket so that all'of the rollers will engage the tracks properly.

Obviously, the present invention is not,V

restrictedto the particular embodiment thereof' herein shown and described.

What I claim is i Y l. A plant for handling semi-fluentmaterialscomprising, in combination, a support; a hoist bucket ;'upwardly inclined guides for the'bucket; said; guides including y'upper and lower guides for a portion of the path of movement of the bucket, and the upper guide terminating short of the point where the lower guide terminates, so that the bucket may beihoistedI free of the guides; rollers on the opposite sides' of the bucket for entering between-said guides; and means secured.V at the Y top vof the bucket to prevent one 'of the rollers 'from' catching under one ofy the lower guides when the bucket is being'hoisted.

2f. Thecombinationlof ahoist bucket and a pit having inclined bucket guides, characterized by the employment of upwardly and downwardly projecting members fixed to the sides of the bucket, said projecting members preventing the bucket from catchinggunder t-he'guides during ascent and also turning the bucket angularly about a vertical axis during descent so as properly to engage the guides.

` 3. Ahoist bucketfadapted to be operated in conjunction'with bucket tracks which are inclined relatiye to the vertical, comprising, in combination, a body; means on the body for operative. engagement. with' the bucket tracks; an'djguideshoes on the body projecting upwardly above the top thereof and laterally outwardly to turn `the bucket, during hoisting, to assumel the proper position relative to the-tracks.

4L A hoist bucket adaptedrto be lowered into a loading pit comprising pivoted jawsv for dumping the contents of the bucket; and means rigidly secured to the jaws andv projectingdownwardly and laterally outwardly therefrom to guide the'bucket as it moves inthe pit. e 5. A hoist 'bucket adapted to be moved into and `out of engagement .with bucket tracks, and lhzwingmeans vfast tothe bucket onopposite sides and extending upwardly above the top thereof and downwardlyI below the bottom'V of the bucket to guide the bucket into and out of engagement with said bucket tracks.

6'. In combination with a hoist bucket of the characteridescribed adapted to-rollf on an inclinedt'rackway means to lower` and raise thek bucketv into and out 'of engagementwith the trackway; and meanson the bucket rigidly fixed to theV1 sides thereof'I so as to be engageable withf the ,trackway to guide, the bucket into and out-of engagement'withjthe trackl Way; Y i

7 In combination withan' inclinedl trackway, a hoist bucket having` means thereon to roll on the trackway; -meansf tolower the bucket into engagement withl the-trackway and also t'o hoistthe bucket free ofthe trackway'rigidly fixed to-and carried' at opposite sides of the bucket and'projeotingbelow the bottom thereof toengage the YtracksandA guide the bucket onto the trackwaywhenthebucket yislowered;I Y

8. In combination', an inclinedtraclnvay'; a hoist bucket adaptedto roll on lthe inclined trackwayand be raisedclear thereof; means secured to and extending above the bucket ateach7 side^ thereof to prevent the' bucket `from Vcatching beneathk the trackway when the bucket -isbeing hoisted.

' '9.-' Ahois't bucketV comprising, inV combination; abodypor'tion; jaws ffrjclosing thebottom of the` bucket; and having sidewalls-pivoted tothe sideslof the bucket; meansiconnecting the'fjaws so that they open and: close simultaneously; and angle'barssecuredto the sidewalls of the-jaws tolstrengthen the same and to prevent the jaw connecting means and the sides of the jaws from being battered.

10. In a hoist bucket adapted to be lowered into engagement with inclined tracks; jaws for closing the bottom of the bucket and having side walls pivoted to the sides of the bucket; and means secured to the side walls of the jaws to strengthen and protect the same from battering; said means extending below the bottom of the bucket to guide the bucket in proper engagement with the tracks. 11. A bottom dumping conveyor bucket comprising, in combination, a body; a pair of jaws pivoted on the body and together closing the bottom of the bucket; and an angle bar secured to each jaw at each side of the bucket to strengthen the jaw and protect the bucket; said angle bar extending below the bottom of the jaw, so that the bucket has twoy downwardly projecting parts on each side thereof to guide it in its descent.

12. A bottom dumping conveyor bucket comprising, in combination, a body; a pair of jaws pivoted on the body and together closing the bottom of the bucket; an angle bar secured to each side of the bucket and projecting a short distance above the top thereof to obviate fouling of the bucket during hoisting; and an angle bar secured to each jaw at each side of the bucket to strengthen the jaw and protect the bucket; said last-mentioned angle bar extending below the bottoms of the jaws, so that the bucket has two downwardly projecting parts on each side thereof to guide it in its descent.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto aflixed `my signature.

AZZEL C. BENNETT.

CERTIFICATE 0F CORRECTION.

Patent No. 1,791,882. Granted February 10, 1931, to

AZZEL C. BENNETT.

It is hereby certified that error appears in the above numbered patent requiring correction as tollows: 1n the heading to the painted specification and drawing, date of original application, for "October 2l, 1926" `read ctober 21, 1925; and that the said Letters Patent should be read with this correction therein that the same may coniorm to the reoofd of the oase in the Patent Oiice.

Signed and sealed this 16th day of Match, A. D. 1931.

M. J. Moore, (Seal) Acting Commissioner of Patents. 

